When Lucci slowly stepped into the Hall of the God-King, it symbolized the supreme power of the Nine Realms. The anticipated tension and chaos were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the entire hall was still grand, yet brimming with a workplace atmosphere at its peak.
On both sides of the hall, two rows of huge curtains of light, made from magical crystals, stood brilliantly. Streams of data and information cascaded down like waterfalls, gathered from every corner of the Nine Realms.
Hela stood in front of the left curtain. She had changed out of her familiar, black, form-fitting armor into a finely tailored dress, radiating royal authority. The formidable aura of the Goddess of Death had toned down slightly, but her queenly dignity and nobility were even more pronounced.
At this moment, she gazed intently at the curtain of light—a detailed map of military deployments at the Vanir-Asgard border, and a list of newly submitted, supposedly forged weapons from the Nidavellir Dwarf Kingdom. Her eyebrows narrowed slightly, as if deep in thought.
On the right side of the main hall was Loki's office area. Compared to Hela's side, filled with reports of iron-blooded military operations, the curtain of light before Loki displayed Alfheim trade agreements, amendments to Asgardian law, and cultural exchanges between the Nine Realms. Loki was also focused, buried in the complexity of governance.
To both of them, the work Lucci had assigned was not just a duty, but a noble, glorious career. Judging by their enthusiasm, they even seemed to enjoy it! This truly surprised Lucci. Yet beneath this seemingly harmonious scene of shared rule, a single discordant note still lingered—Loki's face was faintly bruised, with both new and old marks.
Apparently, Loki often suffered "physical arguments" during disputes with Hela. Still, he refused to yield, not even at this moment. The sound of Lucci's footsteps echoed in the corridor, and the two siblings—drunk on power—froze.
Loki instinctively put on a flattering smile. Hela, meanwhile, quickly composed herself, masking her feelings and reverting to a cold, proud demeanor.
Lucci's gaze landed on Loki's face, frowning slightly.
"I remember telling you: no fighting, right?"
As soon as he said this, the air in the hall thickened. Hela's sharp, warning eyes stabbed at Loki like twin icy blades. Loki, too, turned still as stone—he did not want to lose this hard-won seat of power over such a 'trivial' matter. He forced a smile uglier than tears, and blurted:
"No! Brother, you misunderstand! Absolutely no fights! I just... slipped and fell!"
"Yes, just a few days ago, I was so absorbed in my paperwork that I tripped down the stairs!"
Watching Loki's awkward defense, Lucci simply shook his head, feeling slightly amused but not digging further. If these two could get their work done in their own ways—without going overboard—he could let it slide.
"Bring your work reports."
Lucci spoke lightly.
"Yes, right away! Brother, please check my work!"
At once, Loki anxiously pulled up his summary report, his face a mixture of nerves and anticipation. Hela, on the other hand, did not try to ingratiate herself with a smile. But the coldness in her eyes could not hide the worry about Lucci's evaluation.
Lucci took their information terminal and checked it carefully. Every transaction over this period was meticulously logged: from resolving border disputes between Dwarves and Light Elves, to approving Asgard's Rainbow Bridge maintenance budget—everything was handled in perfect order. Hela's decisive military foresight and Loki's shrewd and meticulous government administration complemented each other perfectly.
"Well done," Lucci nodded in approval after reading. "Your responses to emergencies and long-term development plans are both very reasonable."
Hearing this, Loki's face instantly lit up!
"Thank you, Brother! I—I'll keep doing my best!"
He was so excited he nearly lost his composure. Even Hela, always arrogant, softened her cold expression upon Lucci's approval, coughing softly before saying in a cool voice:
"There's always room for improvement."
Lucci smiled at their competitiveness, pleased that his arrangements were more effective than expected.
"Very good." He handed the terminal back to Loki and encouraged, "Keep up with this. Maintain this pace."
With that, he turned and left for the palace of the God-King. Hela and Loki were left brimming with fighting spirit; their eyes met and sparks flew—next time, I'll do even better than you!
…
In the God-King's Palace
Odin and Frigga, still reeling from Lucci's astonishing growth, were discussing in shock when a gentle voice drifted from the entrance.
"Father, Mother."
The two turned, seeing Lucci's calm face as he entered.
"You came at the perfect time!" Frigga rose to greet him, taking his hands with undisguised delight. "We were just talking about you with your father!"
"Oh?" Lucci smiled. "What about me?"
"Not that big move you made just now!" Odin's booming voice rang out. "All of Asgard shook three times together with you! Even the World Tree trembled, boy—just what did you do?"
Lucci smiled nonchalantly,
"Nothing much. I just realized a few laws about power."
As soon as the words left his mouth, a hush of deathly silence fell over the palace. Odin's single eye flashed with unprecedented radiance. Frigga's beautiful features were frozen in disbelief.
The Laws of Power?!
That was one of the ultimate rules, the utmost mysteries of the universe—something even gods of tens of thousands of years could only hope to sense but never understand.
Yet Lucci had just casually claimed he "understood."
"...Is it really true?" Odin's voice trembled as he stared at Lucci, desperate to detect even a hint of jest.
But Lucci offered no further explanation. He calmly extended a fist towards the void. No earth-shattering boom, no energy explosion—only a faint, chilling "crack." Before his fist, the air fractured like a mirror struck by a hammer, ink-black cracks spreading, leading into a chaotic vision beyond space itself. Then, with a motion, both cracks and chaos swiftly healed as if nothing had happened—like breaking an ordinary pane of glass.
Seeing this, Odin's doubts instantly melted into wild delight.
"Ha! Hahaha!"
He laughed, looking skyward, overflowing with pride and relief. "Good! Excellent! If you have mastered the laws of power, I'm truly at ease now! Even if you stand before Thanos and use nothing but the pure Laws of Power—you'll never lose to his Power Stone!"
His gaze sharpened, pulsing with wisdom.
"After all, wielding the Infinity Stones comes at a steep cost! And his so-called Infinity Gauntlet, compared to the Dwarf King's craftsmanship—that's just a crude, temporary shell! His gauntlet can only channel so much force. But you—who have grasped the source of power—your chances of victory are far higher!"
As Frigga finally recovered from her shock, she saw the growth in her son—now a peer even Odin had to respect. All her lingering worries at last vanished.
"By the way, Lucci," Frigga asked, "Did Thor say… you put daily management of the Nine Worlds in Hela and Loki's hands? How is that? Are they… doing well? They're not fighting, are they?"
Odin instantly showed deep concern as well—all fathers feared their wildly different children might not get along.
Lucci smiled, reassuring them.
"Don't worry. I've just been to the Hall of the God-King. They're both doing well. There may be some friction, but nothing out of control. Also, their efficiency at handling government is quite remarkable."
Hearing this, Odin and Frigga exchanged glances of relief, as if a long-standing worry finally had hope of resolution.
"Yes… What matters most now is that siblings stand united," Odin said with feeling.
Lucci nodded.
"I understand, Father. Actually, since you're both here, there's something I wanted to discuss."
Odin and Frigga looked curious.
"What is it?"
Lucci got straight to the point.
"I want to build a MagicNet around Asgard. With this net, a huge magical formation could shield all of Asgard, instantly detecting any hostile intruder."
Frigga showed some confusion, unfamiliar with the term. But Odin's eye lit up!
"A MagicNet? Is that like the invisible, all-encompassing presence you've created over Midgard and Nidavellir?"
Lucci nodded, smiling.
"Exactly, Father."
Frigga, still unsure, asked—
"Wait… what exactly are you talking about? What MagicNet? And what's with Midgard and Nidavellir?"
Odin excitedly explained,
"Frigga, you don't know! Lucci crafted an unrivaled, mysterious magical net above Earth and Nidavellir. Unseen on the surface, it can monitor the entire world, detect any illicit or hostile intruder the moment they approach—and that's not all! At crucial moments, it can form a peerlessly powerful defensive shield, one even a Starfleet's barrage can't penetrate!"
Astonished by her husband's explanation, Frigga turned to Lucci in wonder.
"Such an incredible thing?"
A happy smile spread over her face.
"Then why wait? If Earth and Nidavellir have this protection, how could Asgard—the sacred realm—not?"
Lucci smiled.
"Father remains the King of Asgard. Creating the MagicNet touches upon the palace's entire defensive system. In the end, I still need your official approval."
Frigga nodded understandingly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Odin with a clear message: If you refuse, you'll regret it!
Seeing this, Odin quickly capitulated.
"Fine, fine! Don't look at me like that! I never planned to refuse! Anything that safeguards Asgard should be done—I couldn't say no even if I wanted to!"
Turning solemn, he declared to Lucci,
"Go! Give Asgard the strongest MagicNet!"
Satisfied, Frigga smiled sweetly. With Odin's authorization, Lucci wasted no time. He nodded to them and soared into the sky, appearing instantly above Asgard.
A clear sword ring, and the Path Flame Sword appeared in his hand. Looking down upon the golden, resplendent city, Lucci's eyes flashed with concentration. He invoked the sword, channeled the branches and roots of the World Tree as arteries of energy, and, combining his understanding of the laws of space, time, and power, began weaving the MagicNet.
…